Bengal Florican sighting. © Nikita Photography.

Developing conservation solutions for the dwindling population of Bengal Florican is hampered by a lack of understanding of the species’ population status and habitat use. No rigorous awareness campaigns have been made to date which aim to amplify people’s awareness of the conservation status of Bengal Florican and its ecological importance in the study site. This lack of information has presented considerable challenges in developing conservation policies aimed at conserving Bengal Florican in ShNP. Hence, this research seeks to provide updated information regarding the species’ population status and habitat use. Additionally, as part of community awareness programs, local community people and school students will be made aware of the ecological importance of this species.

This project will be carried out in Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP), which is located in a lowland area of far western Nepal in Kanchanpur district. To meet the designed objectives of the project, a preliminary survey will be conducted, followed by a population status survey, habitat survey, community awareness activities, and school teaching programs.

This proposed research will provide updated information on the present population status, which will help future researchers to carry out more in-depth research and conservation work related to analysing the trend of the Bengal Florican population in the near future. This research will further serve as baseline data by providing science-driven information on habitat use for future research, action plan preparation, and implementation. Knowledge and awareness among local community people and students about the Bengal Florican will be enhanced after the conservation awareness programs, which will help to initiate better conservation initiatives. The project’s findings will help inform conservation authorities and policymakers in developing site-based action plans aimed at conserving the Bengal Florican in ShNP.